Jet Fuel Production Hits All-Time High in U.S. Refineries in 2024: EIA

Jet fuel accounted for a record high share of U.S. refinery output during 2024 due to higher demand for jet fuel compared to other transportation fuels, according to a March 24 report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Jet fuel, motor gasoline and distillate fuel oil account for over 85 percent of U.S. refinery output, with gasoline accounting for the largest share and distillate fuel making up for the second largest. U.S. refiners are able to alternate yields among these three products depending on market conditions, however are restricted by refinery configuration, costs of altering refinery assets and crude oil input grades.

Demand changes are a vital factor influencing changes in refinery yields. Elevated air travel, measured by flight departures and TSA passenger volume has led to higher U.S. jet fuel on an annual basis for every year since 2020. Jet fuel usage remains below its pre-coronavirus pandemic 2019 volumes because of changing flight schedules, efficiency enhancements and a number of other factors. The elevated fuel efficiency of newer aircrafts has restricted U.S. jet fuel usage. Commercial airlines continue to enhance the fuel economy of their fleets to lower operational expenditures. The average fuel economy of U.S. commercial aircrafts as measured by available seat-miles per gallon rose to 65.5 seat-miles per gallon in 2023 compared with 64.9 seat-miles per gallon in 2019. As aircraft engineers produce more energy-efficient aircraft and engines into service, new airplanes, whether acquired to expand capacity or replace existing capacity, have assisted in increasing fuel efficiency in the commercial fleet.

The increasing share of jet fuel in the U.S. refinery fleet has led to the U.S. refinery yield for motor gasoline decreasing to its lowest proportion since 2015, the refinery yield for distillate fuel oil was largely flat, whilst the yield for residual fuel oil rose marginally compared to the year before. The agency projects jet fuel consumption to hit a record high during 2026.